Editor's Corner

Yesterday, as I was editing a document, I came across the term “strap count.” Now, I know we work for credit unions and banks, but I’ve never worked in one. I’m not always up on the lingo of the institutions that we work with. I’m afraid my mind went straight to the only straps I know of—brassieres. Since I know we didn’t recently start working for the Credit Union of Victoria’s Secret, I quickly went to the internet to find out what exactly a “strap count” is. Not only did I find out what straps they were talking about, I found out some other cool information about “star notes.”

Here is what I learned from Wikipedia:

A currency strap, also known as currency band or bill strap is a simple paper device designed to hold a specific denomination and number of banknotes. It can also refer to the bundle itself.

In the United States, the American Bankers Association (ABA) has a standard for both value and color, as shown below. Note that all bills greater than $1 only come in straps of 100 count. The colors allow for quick accounting, even when the bills are stacked, such as in a vault.

Special striped bands are used for straps containing only star notes. [KC – Described below the strap color chart.]

And a star note, as described by Wikipedia:

A replacement banknote, commonly referred to as a star note, is a banknote that is printed to replace a faulty one and is used as a control mechanism for governments or monetary authorities to know the exact number of banknotes being printed.

Kara Church

Technical Editor, Advisory

Symitar Documentation Services